There are two essential parts to accomplishing any goal. First comes the planning phase, where you: Define the steps you need to take Develop a strategy for accomplishing them Schedule a timeline to complete them Once the plan is in place, it’s up to you to handle the execution of your plan, making sure that …
In 2007, the movie The Bucket List told the story of a millionaire and an auto mechanic who, after meeting in a hospital room, decide to go out and do the things they’ve always wanted to do before they die. Since then, the idea of making a bucket list has taken hold in popular culture. …
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There are only 55 days between Halloween and Christmas. Only eight weekends, and many of those already have parties and vacations penciled in. To stay ahead of the holiday rush, it’s time to start planning now. When it comes to redecorating your home, this end-of-year period sees the most activity. While all the retail stores can switch from …
With apples ripening on the trees and children returning to school, it means it’s time to start planning for the coming winter. Autumn is a great time to do projects around the home or yard. It’s also the best time to schedule out holiday events and set your final goals for the year. Autumn Yard …
In today’s world, our kids have more options than ever before. Advanced placement classes help them get a jump on college, after-school sports provide exercise and excitement, music and instrument lessons enrich their self-expression, and volunteer work teaches them respect for others. Add these all together, however, and it turns into a pretty tall order …
By the end of summer break most of us are ready for the steady cadence of school. We’ve improvised long enough. However, we also realize that we’ll miss the relaxed routine where even our scheduled events have room to slip. School and its associated activities have a much tighter grip on our time. So we …
The more you advance in school, the more complicated it gets. By the time you reach high school and college, there are due dates to remember, events to keep track of, and lectures to attend. Keeping your school life organized is the key to high achievement. Plan Ahead: In college, each course hands out a …
When it comes to vacations, nothing helps more than a good plan. While you might have fond memories of spontaneous road trips during your younger days, those memories probably gloss over the time you slept in the front seat of your car because a convention was in town and all the hotels were booked. If …
So you’ve finally graduated from college, now it’s time for the work to begin. That’s why they call your graduation celebration “commencement.” The first thing you’re likely to discover is that the real world isn’t as ideal as you imagined it in college. In the real world, you may find it incredibly difficult to find …
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With the onset of warm weather, a whole world of activities opens up: spring sports, hiking, road trips to fun locations, and more. Make sure that your car is prepared for the season and ready to take you to where the fun is. Clean the Winter Clutter: When it’s cold outside, it’s harder to make …
Spring is a beautiful time of year, with melting snow, rising temperatures, and the chatter of birds returning from their winter hideaway. It’s also a busy time. I’ve noticed a common springtime routine in my neighborhood. Houses that sat silent during the dark days of winter begin to resound with voices. Neighbors, who had spent …
If you’re reading this blog, you’re probably a fairly organized person. You probably keep your home neat, your car tidy, and your desk clear. But with only so many hours in the day, there are bound to be small areas of your life that could use some spring cleaning. Consider the following: Make Your Pantry …
As I watched the competitions in Sochi, Russia, I was struck with an interesting thought: How you start your race determines where you finish. Events such as the luge, bobsled, and skeleton are won in the first push—the first few seconds of sprinting or clawing their way onto the track. The downhill skiers who won …
Your planner is a great tool for organizing your time, but you can make it even better. When people take the time to personalize their possessions, they tend to use them more. If you can make your planner represent the important aspects of your life and personality, you’ll find that they not only work to …
Whether you’re following along in a work meeting or keeping records at home, you’re going to end up using a lot of paper over the course of a year. Here are some ideas for cutting down (and then cutting up) some of your biggest paper stacks: Old Tax Papers – You generally want to keep …
Getting ready for tax season can be incredibly stressful, but there are some things you can do to make it easier. Here’s a list of helpful suggestions that can take some of the stress out of this hectic time of year. Gather your receipts. Even if you’ve never itemized deductions in the past, keeping …
My father is a carpenter. Ever since he was 20 years old, he has spent every summer swinging a hammer—remodeling houses, finishing basements, repairing roofs, and pouring cement. He is also a fine wood craftsman, and spent 36 years teaching woodshop and drafting to junior high and high school students. One thing I learned from …
Making and keeping resolutions is easy to conceptualize. Actually accomplishing them is another story. For some of us, our New Year’s resolutions end in disaster. There are many reasons for this—we try to do too much at once, we aren’t able to get started, or we just can’t seem to finish what we start. One …
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What to do in the next three months to have a happier holiday. So much about the holidays revolves around good feelings – the warmth of giving a gift, the joy of spending time with family during Thanksgiving, the rekindled wonder of watching a small child’s excitement. At least, that’s how we’d like the holidays …
